


The Best by Far is You

by Carmenlire



Series: Tumblr Prompts [25]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, First Christmas, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, I did my best, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, everyone please ignore the hellscape that the canon timeline is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 14:56:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16956105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmenlire/pseuds/Carmenlire
Summary: The two of them leave the loft and Magnus doesn’t try to hide his smile when Alec immediately reaches over and grabs his hand, thumb sweeping over his palm. They take the subway--yes, Alexander, I was taking the subway before your grandfather was even born-- and get off at the stop that leads to Midtown Manhattan, close to Rockefeller Center. It’s two weeks before Christmas and the sidewalks are jam-packed with tourists and stressed shoppers.Or, Magnus and Alec enjoy the most wonderful time of year.





	The Best by Far is You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bahnhofsblumen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bahnhofsblumen/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Julia!!!! I hope that you enjoy this little story and know that I think you're pretty neat <3<3<3

“And what are we supposed to be doing here?”

Sighing exasperatedly, Magnus wraps his scarf around his neck. It’s a little hideous-- a mishmash of patterns and swirling colors courtesy of Madzie-- but it was a gift and Magnus makes it work, wearing an austere black coat to really let the riot of colors pop.

He meets Alec’s eyes in the mirror. “We’re going to the Christmas Fair downtown. We’re supposed to be having fun. Nothing serious, no business or worry of demonic sightings.”

Turning around, he takes the few steps over to Alec, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders. “We’ll browse around the shopping booths and eat something sweet and freeze our asses off.”

Alec smiles and leans in to kiss him only to pull back abruptly. “You have different chap stick on,” he says accusingly.

“Peppermint,” Magnus confirms, placing a smacking kiss on Alec’s cheek and trying not to coo and the vaguely disgusted look Alec throws him. “I thought it only appropriate. Tis the season, after all.”

Alec shakes his head but he’s hiding a smile. Magnus will take it as a win.

The two of them leave the loft and Magnus doesn’t try to hide his smile when Alec immediately reaches over and grabs his hand, thumb sweeping over his palm. They take the subway-- _yes, Alexander, I was taking the subway before your grandfather was even born_ \-- and get off at the stop that leads to Midtown Manhattan, close to Rockefeller Center. It’s two weeks before Christmas and the sidewalks are jam-packed with tourists and stressed shoppers.

Magnus doesn’t mind, though. There’s something about the very air in December that’s achingly sentimental. While he’s never been one to practice Christianity, Christmas is something that he’s celebrated for the past couple centuries, ever since he first landed in Europe.

Still, New York City at Christmastime is another beast altogether. They pass a dozen vendors selling Christmas trees and Magnus is paying far more attention to Alec than he is to his surroundings.

Doing his best to keep his fondness under wraps, Magnus internally rolls his eyes at Alec’s expression. He’s trying to look unaffected at the crowd of people and the miles of lights and garland and decorations. They’re rounding the corner when Alec stops in his tracks and Magnus grins as Alec’s eyes light up.

“Still aren’t sure what you’re supposed to do,” Magnus teases.

Alec doesn’t even spare him a glance as he takes in the crowds of people milling about in barely organized chaos. This Christmas Fair has been going on in the city every December 12th for over a hundred years and it’s gained quite a following.

Families are milling about, kids racing by with cookies and toys. Magnus looks around and breathes in the scent of balsam and toasted marshmallow and feels something settle into place.

For the millionth time, he wonders at how Christmas could be so much more than a simple day.

He startles, though, as Alec pulls him toward the closest booth.

“Are you looking for anything in particular,” Alec absently asks, paying close attention to the boxes of artisan chocolates on display.

Humming, Magnus thinks for a minute before shaking his head. “Not really, I’m afraid. I usually end up buying whatever catches my eye. What about you?”

He eyes a box of peppermint bark, debating, while he waits for Alec’s answer.

No,” Alec finally says. “You know that we don’t really celebrate Christmas. While I know more than other shadowhunters, I can still be pretty clueless. Izzy, Jace, and I usually exchanged gifts and snuck out of the Institute to eat dinner but that’s about it.”

“I still don’t know how even shadowhunters keep their heads in the sand about Christmas, especially in New York. Signs of it are literally everywhere, darling.”

Alec shrugs. “You’re forgetting that we spend most of December at the Academy until we graduate. Idris has their own holidays. Though none that mean unlimited gingerbread,” Alec ends distractedly. 

Magnus looks up from the chocolate and sees that Alec’s moved on to the next booth-- homemade gingerbread cookies.

“I didn’t know you liked gingerbread,” he says, amused.

“It’s never come up.” 

Alec looks over at him, considering, and Magnus grins as he moves on without buying the peppermint bark. Laying an arm around Alec’s back, Magnus looks between Alec and the gingerbread, bemused.

“Alexander, you’re about to start drooling.”

Glaring, Alec just asks, “Do you want one?”

Magnus makes a show of thinking before finally suggesting, tongue in cheek, “We could share one?”

He bites back his laughter at the incredulous look Alec shoots him. “I don’t share my gingerbread,” Alec says firmly.

Magnus sighs dejectedly, gently bumping his hip against his boyfriend’s. “Very well,” he says sadly. “I thought it would be romantic to share but I forgot my boyfriend is possessive over his sweets.”

“Frosting or no frosting?” Alec doesn’t even deign to acknowledge Magnus and Magnus tucks a hand into Alec’s back pocket as he murmurs, “Surprise me, darling.”

Alec pays for the cookies and immediately bites the head off his frosted gingerbread Santa, meeting Magnus’s scandalized eyes without expression. “It’s the best part,” is all he offers and Magnus laughs as he shakes his head, nudging them to keep going.

The two of them make their way through dozens of booths. There are wood cutouts and photography booths and they pass enough food vendors that Magnus starts to wonder if Alec’s stomach isn't both bottomless and made of cast iron. 

He’s long known that his boyfriend has a sweet tooth to rival the Cookie Monster’s but it’s something else entirely to see Alec in his element. 

There are quite a few toy booths, and Magnus finds himself in quite a few heated debates with Alec over the best present for kids. Magnus discovers-- much to his surprise-- that Alec’s a fan of classic toys. Magnus himself very much prefers toys that light up and make obnoxious noises and all around look fun.

Alec, by contrast, likes toy soldiers and spinning tops and toys that look more suited to what a character in a Dickens novel would have salivated over.

As he watches Alec absolutely lose his shit at a rather terrifying Jack in the Box, Magnus wonders who their kids will take back after. He doesn’t voice the sudden direction of his thinking and he’s quietly surprised to realize that the thought doesn’t make his heart squeeze in his chest painfully. No instead, it settles something in him. 

Magnus can’t help but look over at Alec-- his boyfriend, perhaps even his _husband_ one day-- and see the decades unfold. He can’t think of anything more adorable than a son with Alec’s stoic mannerisms or a daughter that loves potions and cooking as much as he does.

He blames Christmas for the sudden yearning that overtakes him and clears his throat when Alec looks back up at him. “I wish I’d had something like this when I was a kid,” he says and Magnus looks at the jack-in-the-box with suspicion.

“Out of all the toys you could pick, you want something that’s meant to scare people?”

“It’s colorful and a surprise and plays music. Really, hits all the requirements for a successful children’s toy.”

Magnus just eyes the toy warily and gently but inexorably guides Alec away from the toy booth. Alec lets him with a small smile and Magnus hides his grin in Alec’s shirt when he throws an arm over his shoulder, pulling him close.

They run into a row of ornament vendors and spend quite a while looking through ornaments of all shapes and sizes and materials.

“I had fun decorating the loft with you last week.”

Magnus looks up from where he’d been mulling over a stethoscope ornament for Catarina to see Alec gently lift a glass-blown orb from its hook. Taking the stethoscope with him, Magnus wanders over to Alec, replying, “I’m glad to hear that. It was fun trimming the tree with you, darling. I usually enjoy decorating by myself with one of my jazz records and a glass of wine but maybe I just needed to find the right helper,” he teases with a grin.

Alec laughs but most of his attention is still on the ornament. Coming to stand next to Alec, Magnus takes in the script on the front and his smile widens.

“Today only, we’re offering free engraving on all ornaments,” comes a voice behind them and Magnus turns around to see one of the employees approaching them. They’re dressed in holiday cheer with red bow earrings and an elf’s hat.

“Free engraving,” Alec repeats.

Taking the ornament gently from Alec’s hands, the staff member nods. “It’s usually a dollar a word but since it’s the first day of the fair, it’s our promotion.” She takes a second to read the ornament before looking back up at them with a smile. “Are you interesting in personalizing it?”

To his surprise, Alec speaks first. “Yeah, let’s add our names to it,” he says and looks to Magnus for confirmation.

Magnus looks over at Alec and sees that Alec’s already watching him with that damned look in his eye-- like all he sees is Magnus.

“I think it only right that we have a memento of our first Christmas together, don’t you,” he asks softly.

He watches Alec’s eyes light up before he’s following the vendor to the engraving station to fill out an order form.

Magnus checks out with another employee in the meantime and meets Alec at the front of the shop just a few minutes later.

“Julia said that it’ll take about an hour to finish ours and we should come back later to pick it up.”

“Julia,” Magnus asks with a raised brow. “Don’t tell me you made a friend, Alexander.”

“Shut up” Alec mutters. “She was nice and mentioned that she had bought the same ornament for her girlfriend last week.”

Smiling, Magnus doesn’t say anything and the two of them wander around the market, though Magnus’s gaze zeroes in on a booth further up the thoroughfare. He comes to a stop in line and Alec shoots him a curious smile. 

“Hot chocolate?”

Magnus hums, reading over the menu. “I only drink hot chocolate in December and this particular booth has the best cup I’ve ever had-- and their marshmallows are in the shape of reindeer. Do you want some?”

“No, I think I’m going to head over to the mulled wine booth across from here.”

Magnus looks up as Alec steps away from him. “You’re choosing wine over hot cocoa? Over marshmallows and enough sugar to fell an elephant? You don’t even like alcohol,” Magnus says accusingly.

Laughing, Alec takes another step back. “The only alcohol I’ve ever enjoyed is mulled red wine. With the cinnamon stick? It’s like juice that makes me want to take a nap,” he says sheepishly.

“Very well, then. Leave and go get your _nap juice_. I’ll just be waiting for my dessert in a mug.”

Magnus sees Alec grin before he’s turning away to get his own drink. The line for the hot chocolate is long, though, and Alec sidles up to him just as he’s placed his order.

“Back so soon,” Magnus sniffs. “Maybe that’s a sign that hot chocolate is definitely the most popular Christmas drink.”

Alec just takes a sip of his wine, humming in satisfaction.

The sun has officially set by the time they make it back to the ornament stand and pick up their purchase. Magnus shivers a little in his coat, burying his nose in his scarf a little deeper.

Alec looks adorable with a red nose and ruddy cheeks and Magnus pauses at the edges of the fair to throw away his empty cup.

Before they can continue, though, he steps up to Alec and unwinds part of his scarf around Alec’s neck. For his part, Alec stands unmoving with a faint grin.

“You know we can’t walk like this,” he says dryly.

Magnus arches a brow. “I’m getting tired of you ruining all of my romantic gestures.”

Alec huffs out a laugh as he shakes his head. “I love your romantic gestures, just not when they get in the way of my food or when they become a tripping hazard.”

“And they say romance is dead,” Magnus mutters. Before he can say anything else, Alec is kissing him. It’s lingering and soft and when it ends Magnus doesn’t want to open his eyes.

“I have to keep you on your toes somehow, babe.”

Opening his eyes, Magnus grins at Alec before unwinding the rest of his scarf and looping it around Alec’s neck, hushing his protests.

“You look like an icicle, Alexander. I won’t have you catching a cold and ruining my plans in a few days.”

“Oh? And what are these plans you have that are more important that a potentially sick boyfriend?”

Narrowing his eyes, Magnus takes his hand and they start the walk back to the subway station. “I’ll have you know that I need to wrap your presents and I can’t do that if you’re in the apartment with me, now can I?”

“I guess,” Alec sighs dramatically though his lips are twitching at the corners.

The commute back to the loft is pleasant as it can be, considering they’ve taken the subway. Magnus immediately leaves his bags by the foyer and makes his way to their bedroom, Alec right behind him.

Changing into comfortable pajamas, they return to the living room, though Magnus grows confused when Alec goes to their bags.

“Leave that, darling. We can go through everything in the morning.”

Alec doesn’t listen and after a few minutes of rummaging, he pulls out the box, going right to the tree and turning it on before placing the ornament right in the middle.

Magnus walks over to him and studies the tree. While most assumed that Magnus would have an elegant Christmas tree with a classic theme, the truth was that he loved the chaotic potential of such a statement piece. He had ornaments from friends stretching back decades and there was popcorn string and multicolored lights and tinsel. Each and every thing on the tree was a memory for Magnus and his heart clutches a little at Alec’s new addition.

“Perfect,” he says, kissing Alec with the heat of the fire at his back.

“It’s our first Christmas living together,” Alec says as he looks over the tree, the colorful lights playing over his face.

“The first of many.”

Turning to the living room proper, Magnus stops Alec when he goes to sit on the couch.

With a wave of his hand, a dozen pillows and a mountain of blankets fall to the ground in front of the couch. Alec smiles but doesn’t protest and they settle onto the floor with the fireplace below the television providing them with a little extra warmth.

“What do you want to do for the rest of the evening, babe?”

Shifting closer to Alec, Magnus lays his head on his chest. “We could watch a movie if you--”

“Rudolph?”

Magnus tilts his head up to see Alec looking at him. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear there was a pleading note in his voice.

“You want to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? The children's movie? With that horrendous _claymation_?”

Alec scoffs. “Claymation is a gift that just just keeps on giving and it’s my favorite Christmas movie,” he admits.

“I had no idea you knew any Christmas movies, let alone animated ones.”

Magnus climbs to his feet and the dvd appears in his hand. He makes his way to the tv and places the disc in the player before returning to Alec who’s delightfully warm.

“It was on the television at the restaurant we went to that first Christmas, when we snuck out.” Alec shrugs and Magnus trails a hand over his chest as he continues, “It looked fun. It was silly and that dentist elf-- Hermey-- was weird but endearing?”

“Well, then, let’s watch it.”

Magnus settles over Alec again, relaxing into his boyfriend as Alec’s arm wraps around him, sweeping over his back.

They watch a cheesy movie and order in takeout and share a bottle of wine. 

_The perfect day_ , Magnus thinks with a drowsy smile.

The Christmas Fair was a staple for Magnus-- he’d been going since the very first one all those years ago. As he lets himself fall asleep to the sound of Alec’s breathing, Magnus knows that he’s found that missing piece that makes this time of year all the more special.

Love. Alexander.

 

 _Magnus and Alexander_  
_Our First Christmas_  
_2018_

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on tumblr or twitter @carmenlire!


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